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The Past Continuous Tense

1. Form

Affirmative: S + past tense of the auxiliary verb to be + present participle


(infinitive +ing)

Negative: S+ past tense of the auxiliary verb to be + not + present


participle (infinitive +ing)

Interrogative: past tense of the auxiliary verb to be + S + present participle


(infinitive +ing) ?

Negative
Interrogative: past tense of the auxiliary verb to be + S + not + present
participle (infinitive +ing) ?

2. Spelling note
● When a verb ends in a single e, the e is dropped before adding ing: love-
loving, hate-hating
● When a verb of one syllable has one vowel and ends in a single consonant,
this consonant is doubled before ing: hit-hitting, run-running
● Verbs of two or more syllables whose last syllable contains only one vowel and
ends in a single consonant, double this consonant if the stress falls on the
last syllable: begin-beginning, prefer-preferring, admit-admitting but enter-
entering
● A final l after a single vowel is always doubled: travel-traveling, signal-signaling

3. Use

a) past actions which continued for some time but whose exact limits are not known
and not important
➔ used without a time expression it can indicate gradual development
Ex: It was getting dark. The wind was rising.
➔ used with a point in time expresses an action which began before that time and
will probably continue after it
Ex: At 8 a.m he was having breakfast implies that he was in the middle of
the breakfast at 8 a.m, that he has started it before 8

1
( He had breakfast at 8 a.m would imply that he had started it at 8 a.m)

➔ if we replace the time expression with a verb in the simple past tense, we convey
the idea that the action in the past continuous started before the action in the
simple past and probably continued after it
Ex: When I arrived Tom was talking on the telephone.

*The combination of two simple past tenses, in comparison, indicates successive


actions: When he saw me he put the receiver down.

➔ in descriptions; note the combination of description (past continuous) with


narrative (simple past)
Ex: A wood fire was burning on the hearth, and a cat was sleeping in front
of it. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. The cat woke up.

b) in indirect speech
Ex: direct speech : He said ‘I am living in London.’
indirect speech: He said he was living in London.

c) to express a definite future arrangement in the past


Ex: He was busy packing, for he was leaving that night (the decision to
leave has been made previously).

d) with always, to express a repeated past action, which often annoys the speaker
Ex: He was always ringing me up.

e) as an alternative to simple past, to express a more casual, deliberate action


Ex: I was talking to Tom the other day. ( it wasn’t planned to talk, we just
happen to have lunch at the same time and stayed at the same table)

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